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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Richard Tomba" <rechard_tomba_25@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <richardtomba98@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 05:32:29 +0100
Subject: From Richard Tomba.



Dear Friend,


With regards,I am Mr.Richard Tomba,a very good friend to Late Mr. Andreas Peterman, a national of Germany who was born on the 7th day of Jan,1969 in Hamburg Germany who until his sudden death in the ill fated Bellview Airline flight No. B32 that crashed in the Lisa Village in Ogun State of Nigeria on the 22nd,October 2005 has neither wife nor son or daughter to claim his assets hence his corpse was not recovered, He was the manager of the European Commission-sponsored ECOWAS Statistics Development Project (ECOSTAT).

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the assets and Capital valued at US$2.5million left behind by my friend before it gets confiscated by the bank where these huge deposits were lodged since no body knew that he had such a huge deposit in the bank here in my country Ghana except me, he was so close to me while he was alive and I was his grantor at this very bank, please dont escalate this information about my late friend assets.

I seek your consent to present you to this bank as the Next of kin to my deceased friend since you are a foreigner so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for the claim. I have all the necessary information's/document to back you up for the claim.

All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

I await your urgent response.

Best regards,

Mr.Richard Tomba.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam